Kieron Pollard might be a Trinbagonian but he’s not a Knight Rider. So the thousands of glad, largely red-clad fans who filled the house at the Queen’s Park Oval last night did not come to see any effortless straight-back-over-your-head shots from the Barbados Tridents’ captain.

Outside the Oval, I ran into the ever-popular “Duck Man” from Diego Martin. He was minus his unmistakeable yellow suit and he confessed to me sheepishly that he “wouldn’t be able to blight any of the Tridents batsmen tonight.”

Photo: It’s a bird… It’s a plane…A super fan cheers for the Trinbago Knight Riders during CPL action against Barbados Tridents at the Queen’s Park Oval on 12 August 2017.(Copyright Sean Morrison/Wired868)

Shucks! Things definitely not looking good!

But that changed.

“TKR is not a bobolee team like the rest of them,” one fan assured me gleefully as we made our way into the Oval. “Pollard going for ten or twelve runs tonight.”

I wondered if she had already read the match report on Wired868 more than an hour before the start of the game.

“Polly going for less than ten runs,” another spectator, a man this time, clad in a Manchester United tee-shirt told me as he made his way towards the Carib Stand.

The hard-hitting Pollard had cracked two blistering half-centuries against the Jamaica Tallawahs and the St Lucia Stars. But I thought that if this guy is so good at picking football teams to support, he can’t be so bad at making predictions; he might not be so far off the mark.

Photo: Barbados Tridents captain Kieron Pollard gives one of his players a stern stare during CPL action against Trinbago Knight Riders at the Queen’s Park Oval on 12 August 2017. The visitors dropped half a dozen catches on the night and lost by two wickets.(Copyright Sean Morrison/Wired868)

The power of positive thinking. Or of Trini goat mouth! The same Polly who beating ball like a six bass since the season start had an unusually long stay at the crease but could only muster 14 runs.

Just before the first ball is bowled, I make my way into the Republic Bank Stand and a firewoman asks me–twice!–to clear the aisle and find a seat.

Yes, she was kind, eh. I was sure I was going to get loud up the second time.

“Oh gorm!”

Behind me, a guy spills his beer as he celebrates the fall of the second Tridents wicket, Wayne Parnell, caught Brendon Mc Cullum, bowled Ronsford Beaton. If TKR win the game in a canter, I might get a beer bath by the end of the night.

“Youth man, it’s Stag, a man’s beer. Yuh safe.”

“Eh eh! I now realize the new fellah ent playing,” one of my neighbours comments, carefully counting the TKR players on the field. “The shithound deh bring een fuh Amla.”

Photo: A deeply pensive cricket fan takes in the proceedings during CPL action between the Trinbago Knight Riders and Barbados Tridents at the Queen’s Park Oval on 12 August 2017.(Copyright Sean Morrison/Wired868)

The venom has gone from that same female’s voice when Pakistani mystery spinner Shadab Khan steps up to bowl the eighth over; the teenager receives rapturous cheers but Ms Anti-Frylinck is on her best groupie behaviour. Throughout the over.

I wonder if she knows that the Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly instructed Shadab and his countrymen to return home by 22 August.

A cricket-crazy mate has got the memo but the prospect of a Shadab-less TKR doesn’t other him.

“Shadab in his early career is definitely a gem,” he launches into his sermon. “But if TKR loses him, someone will just have to step in as the additional bowler.

“Searles hasn’t bowled yet (he’s wrong about that!) so I expect him to fill a slot as a bowler and we will go for Perkins to strengthen the batting.”

I was tempted to ask whether he didn’t prefer Frylinck to Perkins but just then Shadab broke the stubborn third-wicket partnership, getting Kane Williamson to miscue a slog sweep and give Narine an easy catch at short third man. We got distracted and the moment passed.

Another friend I met near Jeffrey Stollmeyer later strongly disagreed with him, though,

“Oh goouud!” he exclaimed, running his fingers through his hair. “Shadab? That will be a big loss for TKR.”

And Ducky or no Ducky, blight or no blight, the whole Republic Stand was sure TKR going to win when DJ Bravo took a smart running catch to dismiss Pakistani top-order batsman Shoaib Malik off the bowling of Guyanese quick Ronsford Beaton.

The Carib Girls too spread their hands and leggo. Mamayo!

“Where this Beaton guy from?” the guy who spilled the beer on me asked.

When I told him Beaton was from Guyana, he wondered out loud why the lanky pacer was yet to make the West Indies team.

Tridents lower-order batsman Akeal Hosein, another Trini in Tridents clothing, was not dealing in singles, though. He dispatched Bravo for two sweet sixes off successive balls in the final over.

But the “Champion” singer got his revenge off the next ball, having him caught at long-on by Javon Searles. And he yorked Polly off the final ball as a lagniappe.

Photo: Trinbago Knight Riders bowler and captain Dwayne Bravo celebrates the dismissal of his Barbados Tridents opposite number Kieron Pollard off the last ball of the innings during CPL action at the Queen’s Park Oval on 12 August 2017.(Copyright Sean Morrison/Wired868)

About Roneil Walcott

Roneil Walcott is an avid sports fan and freelance reporter with a BA in Mass Communication from COSTAATT. Roneil is a former Harvard and St Mary's College cricketer who once had lofty aspirations of bringing joy to sport fans with the West Indies team. Now, his mission is to keep them on the edge of their seats with sharp commentary from off the playing field.

42 comments

I thought that the stadium was going to bring in revenues to pay its way.
I guess that PNM sycophants will believe any lame brain excuse from this govt.
The biggest Caribbean cricketing affair gone to the QPCC.

Well I guess that we have to wait for a tsunami or a govt spinsored cricket game for the stadium to be put to use.

I hope all who did have a problem with the tarouba stadium don’t go down there, ah matter ah fact they should go and protest again.. Don’t carry no coolers and food, keep alyuh c**t home and watch it on tv… Where in de world a government open a stadium and the people have a problem with it, only in Trinidad because another party open it.. Dum set of f***ing people..

So Lionel Seeram it it was about that then why did they tell de Indian cricketer from India don’t come to Trinidad to partake in de cricket? Why go that distance, what happens in Trinidad happen in Trinidad.. They even go the distance to plant condom and shit… Man u talking rubbish yes… That wasn’t about no shiting hospital it was more than that… How many UNC ministers wife got big contact and no body had nothing to say every they family and friends…

Was a good match, Pollard and His Tridents were kept in check for the most part.

I do have a bit of concern with TKR middle order though, it doesn’t look to be stable.
Lil B isn’t in the best of form, it’s clear the Hamstring injury that kept DJ out for the past year is still hampering him, Ramdin to inconsistent…. TKR need some firepower in that middle order.

Greer Cave up until the recent resolution to bravo situation & amnesty I was all for it 100% – but I’m a scale back the rhetoric for now since it seems tentative change & sanity to WI cricket will be present thanks to new CEO & DOC

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